Ali Al-Bulaihi, Yasser Al-Shahrani absent as Saudi squad kicks off preparations for 2022 World Cup

RIYADH: Ali Al-Bulaihi and Yasser Al-Shahrani were two notable absentees as the Saudi Arabia football squad on Wednesday began preparations for the 2022 World Cup in the Spanish city of Alicante.

Herve Renard’s team had landed in Spain for its first training camp ahead of the tournament in Qatar, but Al-Hilal’s Al-Bulaihi had to miss the opening session after falling ill, while club colleague Al-Shahrani was late arriving at the camp due to a family circumstance.

Meanwhile, Salem Al-Dawsari and Abdulrahman Al-Aboud only took part in tailored exercises accompanied by the squad’s medical staff.

As part of the camp on the Costa Blanca, Saudi Arabia will play two friendly matches, the first against Colombia on June 5, and the second against Venezuela on June 9, before returning home for the conclusion of the domestic league.

The Green Falcons will continue their preparations on Thursday with an evening training session at the grounds of La Finca Resort.